Ithaca, NY, July 18, 2011 –
Travelers and other consumers increasingly want to know about the
carbon
footprint and other sustainability information connected with their
hotel stay.
In response, most hotel companies have developed methods to answer this
question—but so far, no single method for calculation has been widely
adopted.
As a result, travelers find it difficult to compare one hotel to
another, and
many industry leaders have called for a uniform method of reporting on
the many
items relating to sustainability.

"The CHR commissioned this report after we received requests from
lodging
industry leaders at several CHR roundtables and conferences," noted
Professor Rohit Verma, CHR executive director. "We were delighted when
Eric Ricaurte took the lead in developing this measurement framework.
He had
the able assistance of Paul Hildreth, of Marriott International, David
Jerome
at InterContinental Hotels Group, and Faith Taylor, of Wyndham
Worldwide. Now,
the industry needs to move this process forward."

Ricaurte added: "I want to underscore the fact that the lodging
industry
has moved quickly to respond to requests from guests, investors, and
other
stakeholders regarding sustainability. Although most hotel companies
have
developed platforms to address these requests, it's hard for consumers
to make
use of the data because the individual reports, assumptions, and
measures are
not always communicated uniformly. What we need now and in the future
is
industry collaboration to gain agreement around these issues."

The study presents a comprehensive framework for sustainability
reporting, which
is then tested using actual 2010 data from 20 hotels operated by
InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International, or Wyndham
Worldwide.
The study determines that standard metrics are certainly feasible,
although no
single catch-all industry benchmark will adequately represent the
environmental
footprint of guests' hotel stays, nor is comparison a straightforward
matter.
Instead, the industry can provide measurements that allow the
accounting and
comparison of carbon footprints that stakeholders request.

Thanks to the support of the CHR partners listed below, all
publications posted
on the center's website are available free of charge, at www.chr.cornell.edu.

About The Center for
Hospitality Research
A unit of the Cornell
School of Hotel Administration, The Center for Hospitality Research
(CHR)
sponsors research designed to improve practices in the hospitality
industry.
Under the lead of the center's 78 corporate affiliates,
experienced
scholars work closely with business executives to discover new insights
into
strategic, managerial and operating practices. The center also
publishes the award-winning hospitality journal, the Cornell
Hospitality Quarterly. To
learn more about the center and its projects, visit www.chr.cornell.edu.